Career

You Can Say No: To Jobs, People, and Yourself

So, I was sitting there. I was in a third round interview, wondering why I was even there in the first place. And then all of a sudden, it happened.

“Congratulations,” he said. Somehow I actually managed to get the job. At first I felt shock, but then despair. I didn’t want to work here. This job had nothing to do with what I wanted, and honestly the idea of even signing my name on a contract gave me anxiety. I smiled, gave a decent handshake and a little nod. He walked me out and I thought how selfish I was passing the three kids my age in suits, all probably business majors. I didn’t take the job and that’s okay.

Today’s market is daunting. If you’re close to finishing your undergraduate degree or you already have you know this. It comes to a point that you start applying to anything that doesn’t require you to wear a visor and say, “How may I help you?” You look at every website, call recruiters, and wonder if your college degree was even worth it. So when I got the chance to even get an interview I jumped at it without really thinking if it was what I wanted. Because all I wanted was financial security. Well, that’s what I thought at least.

I felt selfish for saying no to a job opportunity, but not because I needed to pay my bills or that I might have burned a bridge with a potential employer. No, I felt selfish because by saying no I thought that I was perpetuating the bad millennial stereotype that we see so often in the media.

We’ve seen the headlines repeat that we are lazy, entitled, and narcissists. But, I realize now that no, I’m not any of those. In fact, I haven’t met many of my fellow millennials that follow that pattern. By saying no, I was able to gain a great lesson in what they call “the real world.”

If I don’t think I am a fit for a job, I can say no. That doesn’t make me lazy; it saves that company time and money.

If I say no to a person, a Tinder match (#ByeFelipe), or even to my parents, that doesn’t make me entitled. It just shows that I know what I want for myself.

Most of all, if I can say no to myself that doesn’t make me a narcissist. It’s actually kind of the opposite.

There is nothing narcissistic about wanting to better yourself, for yourself.
So if you’re in a position where you want to say no, but you’re scared of what the employers, other people, and maybe even yourself will think, just remember that this is your life.

Miss Millennia Magazine celebrates the style of women who affect others. Simple and sophisticated women who want to be in the queue of powerful people and shape their career; these should turn towards Miss Millennia Magazine for smart guidance about health, style, beauty, money and much more!